Contraception

Comprehensive confidential advice is available during surgery hours. Please request an appointment with your doctor or a nurse to discuss contraception. Emergency contraception is prescribed when appropriate. You need to seek advice within 72 hours.

If you have been advised by the surgery to do so, please submit a contraceptive pill review.

Cervical Smears

Smear tests are carried out by the nursing staff.

Our policy is to test:

• Every woman aged 25 – 49 years, every three years
• Every woman aged 50 – 64 years, every five years

The cytologist/consultant may recommend repeating it more often. It may also be appropriate for women outside this age group. If you are unsure, please ask the practice.

Minor Surgery

All of our doctors perform minor surgery, avoiding the need for you to go to hospital. If the doctor recommends this sort of treatment, arrangements will be made at the surgery.

Flu and Pneumonia Vaccinations

In accordance with the Department of Health guideline, we recommend an influenza and pneumonia vaccination for patients:

• Aged 65 years and over
• Some chronic disease patients
• Carers
• Housebound patients
• Pregnant women
• Residents of nursing/rest homes

The flu vaccination is mainly available from October. Pneumonia is available at any time, please request an appointment.

Shingles

This immunisation is available for most patients aged between 70 and 79 years of age. If you wish to have this, please contact the surgery.

Child and Adult Vaccinations

It is important that you keep up to date with all vaccinations and immunisations. If you are not sure whether you or your child is currently protected, please contact a member of staff who will be happy to advise you.

Travel Immunisations

Please submit a travel form at least 8 weeks in advance of your holiday to ensure adequate cover. We only provide immunisations and vaccinations that are available under the NHS contract.

Please be advised we do not offer a full travel assessment service in the practice, we can only give basic travel information and those vaccinations available on the NHS.

For more specialist assessment or non-NHS vaccinations or medications, you should contact a specialist travel service /clinic.

It is important that you leave adequate time before your departure date for your assessment and vaccinations to take place and to be effective.

We may not be able to offer you an appointment if you contact us less than 6 weeks prior to your travel.

Diabetes Clinic

All diabetic patients are encouraged to attend this clinic regularly where they can be seen by one of our nursing team. Help and advice is also available between clinic appointments.

Asthma Clinic

Patients are seen by our specially trained practice nurses and at intervals agreed with their usual doctor. The aim of the clinic is to monitor and offer advice on prevention strategies, medication and inhaler techniques.

If you have been advised to do so by the surgery, please submit a request for an asthma review. If your symptoms are deteriorating or you are having any concerns, please make an appointment with our nurse.

Long Term Conditions

Patients who have long term conditions such as heart problems, COPD, stroke, and hypertension will be invited to attend for a review.

Non-NHS Services

Certain services provided by your doctor are not covered by the NHS and you will be asked to pay a fee. Examples include pre-employment medicals, private medicals, insurance claims, private certificates, fitness to drive medicals, HGV/PSV medicals and ear syringing. You can submit a request for these using our form.

Sickness Certificates

If you are absent from work due to illness for less than seven days you need to obtain a self-certificate (SC2). If, after seven days, you are still unwell you will need to request a sick note from a doctor. The Department of Social Security guidance states that doctors are not required to issue statements of incapacity for work for periods lasting seven days or less (including a Sunday), or for the first seven days of a longer spell. However, your doctor may consider issuing a private certificate for which a fee is payable. We do not consider that sick certification requires an urgent appointment.

Unused Medicines

Please do not store unused medicines. They can be returned to the chemist for safe disposal. We cannot accept them at the surgery.